Below, a picture of Mikee, my 5 yr.old Shih tzu, tested positive for Heartworm at age 3.
(Dirofilaria immitis)
Mosquito bites Infected Dog
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Mosquito bites another uninfected dog
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Microfilariae live in dogs Bloodstream
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Microfilariae becomes adult heartworms and live in Dogs heart
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Adult heartworms die, obstructs blood vessels
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Heart failure
WHY is it fatal to our dogs?
Simple, when the adult heartworms die, they can obstruct blood vessels to the lungs (these are called pulmonary embolisms). If only a small part of the lung is involved, there may be no clinical signs. However, if the vessels to a large portion of the lung, or a small area of an already diseased lung are blocked, severe signs may result.
SYMPTOMS:
These include fever, cough, coughing up blood, and even heart failure.
Okay, now we know what heartworm is, what causes it, its fatality, now WHAT?
First, in mosquito infested areas, it is recommended that you have your dog checked by a veterinarian for heartworms. This is done either by direct observation of blood sample under the microscope. A positive result would mean, tiny microfilariae are seen in the blood sample. Or, by undergoing AGEN test, whereby, a few drops of the blood sample is administered to a "pregnancy-kit" looking apparatus, wait for a few minutes, then like a pregnancy kit, one line is negative, two lines indicative of a positive result, something like that.
If it's a negative result, good for your dog, now, all you have to do is prevent heartworm from infecting your dog by giving him HEARTGARD plus once every month. http://heartgard.us.merial.com/home/
If it's a positive result, talk to your veterinarian about possible treatments.
For detailed Information click on link>> http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1621&articleid=743
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